Newbie DarkRadiant Questions

[Obsttorte]

@grayman: in the post you've mentioned

 

if the func_static is still in this map delete it and see what happens

 

another guess would be, that as also the immobile readables don't work, something is wrong with my darkmod installation

but i'm pretty sure they work in the fms, i'll check it out

 

EDIT: checked it, it works in the fms

Edited October 5, 2012 by Obsttorte

[grayman]

btw. any idea why this readable thing doesn't work

 

Not enough information.

 

The *.xd file belongs in the xdata folder of your mission.

 

If the xdata_contents spawnarg of the readable is "testNote", then an entry should appear in the *.xd file of the form:

 

testNote
{
  precache
  "num_pages" : "1"
  "page1_title" :
  {
     ""
     }
     "page1_body" :
     {
        "test test"
     }
  "gui_page1" : "guis/readables/sheets/sheet_paper_hand_nancy.gui"
  "snd_page_turn" : "readable_page_turn"
}

 

If you go into Edit->Preferences, and select "Game" from the menu on the left, you should have these settings:

 

Mod (fs_game): "darkmod"

 

Mod Base (fs_game_base, optional): "<pathname to mission folder>"

 

For example, if you keep your mission in "Doom 3/away/", then Mod Base should be set to "away".

 

This helps the Readable Editor place the *.xd file in "Doom 3/away/xdata".

[Fidcal]

Obsttorte: There are lots of tiny things that can go wrong with readables so don't worry - it's fixable. If you don't get a solution by tomorrow, bump this and I'll take a look. I'm out of time tonight.

[grayman]

@grayman: in the post you've mentioned

 

That's the same map I saw yesterday.

 

My request is that you place an AI in the map so we can see which side of the wall he's supposed to be on.

 

If I delete the func_static in your map, TDM will just use the original location of the moved crate to determine if it's been moved.

 

My request is that you post a link to what you think is supposed to work, and we'll try to help you figure out what's wrong.

[Obsttorte]

here is the zip file with a more approppiate test level

 

https://www.yousendit.com/download/TEhVa0ZZNHZxRTAwTWNUQw

 

first try to sneak to the middle of the crate pile, than grab one of the outer crates and use the mouse wheel to move it towards the direction of the room the ai is in

he will get alerted as he cant see you (this is intentioned)

 

now take the crates away (in-game) and try to pass the area where they stood, it doesn't work

 

the func_static is in the room you've started, so far away from beeing able to block you

 

on the crates i only et the folowing three spawnargs

 

"absence_noticaility" "1"

"absence_location" "ls" //the name of the func_static

"absence_bounds_tolerance" "220"

[grayman]

This is a TDM bug.

 

Even though an absence marker is non-solid, it's stopping the player (and probably stops AI as well).

 

An absence marker takes on the size of the missing item, so that recognizing that something missing is more realistic. Larger markers also benefit from more opportunities to catch light, making it easier for AI to spot them.

 

So the absence markers generated when the crates are moved are the same size as the crates, which is enough to block AI or the player.

 

If you file a bugtracker issue for this, we'll address it in 1.09. Please attach the error.zip file to the issue, because it's a good test for when we get it working.

 

I'm not aware of an alternate way to do what you're trying to do with these crates.

[Obsttorte]

understood, thank you very much

 

I'll see if i can get it working on an alternatively way

[Obsttorte]

another thing is still this readables bug

 

the mobile ones working, the immobiles not

i even tried it by creating an mobile version first, then set up the text and then change the entity class to the immobile version, as it seems Melan did this in Fiasco at Fauchard Street, but it also doesn't work

the xdate enty is in the xd file as those for the mobile ones

i also get no error messages, console tells me that he can load the xdata definition

and i'm even unable to frob the paper, although it should be frobable

 

EDIT: I'll just checked it with an open book, there it works, very strange

Edited October 6, 2012 by Obsttorte

[Obsttorte]

ok i've found it

 

it seems, that the readables entity has to touch something solid, like a worldspawn or another entity

i wanted it to be attached to an iron gate which is not fully solid, thats why it doesn't work, funny

[Fidcal]

Obsttorte: I just created a readable_immobile_paper01 and used the readables editor and it worked so let's figure out what you are doing differently.

 

What xdata name have you got? Maybe you are putting in an illegal name? If that's a spoiler then replace the spoiler part but keep your format. For instance, are you putting spaces or angle brackets in the name?

 

Mind you, in my test, I already have xdata for this map (in a game folder) and the editor correctly added the new def to that file.

 

Is your xdata file in the xd folder in your game folder and you are working in your game folder? (ie, you are running it in doom within that game folder?)

[Fidcal]

Cross-posted but a readable does not have to touch a solid. It works anywhere. The only thing that might stop a readable working in a certain position I can think of is maybe something blocking the frob.

[Obsttorte]

the xdate have all the format "readables/mymap/something_like_that"

no spaces or strange signs

 

nothing is blocking the frob

if i put it on the wall it works fine, if i move it some doomunits away from the wall it works not

btw. by solid i also mean models

the error doesn't depent on what text i use

even if i create a prefab immobile paper without changing its xdate_content this happens

 

it's just a guess but couldn't it has something to do with the way the frobsystem works

as far as i remember it was like looking straight forward for something to frob until there is something blocking frob (like a wall) and than create a box if nothing was found and look if there is something to frob inside this box

 

maybe the first step doesn't work all well whit those rather thin readables

 

I just created a readable_immobile_paper01 and used the readables editor and it worked

 

Did you try to put it into the air and frob it than

[Fidcal]

Yes, by chance I created it about 7 or 8 doom units from the wall.

 

Frob difficulty is common with small or narrow objects away from large surfaces but something the size of this sheet ought to be OK. However, there is one useful tip for making objects more easily frobbed if they are difficult. Give them frobbox_size 5. The 5 can be varied - not too big or small though. For more on this subject see here.

[grayman]

Some readables have a collision model, which you can see as a green shell wrapped around them when the "Filter->Collision surfaces" filter is NOT checked in DR.

 

These readables can be easily frobbed anywhere. Against a surface, in the air, doesn't matter, as long as they're roughly centered in the player's LOS and nearby.

 

For the readables that don't have a collision model (no green shell), following the player's LOS doesn't work, since the path isn't going to collide with the readable. This readable relies on the secondary frob, which is that it's inside a 20x20x20 box that's built around the spot where the player's LOS does encounter something. These types of readables rely on sitting against or near a surface or objects that have collision models.

 

As to why some readables have collision models and some don't, I suspect we had different modelers back in the day.

 

For a more detailed description of what's happening read this.

[Obsttorte]

allright

 

well i fixed it by putting an one doom unit thick brush behind the readable, that is just of the same size

both are bound to my iron gate door, and it works pretty nice

 

another question: it seems that the intensiveness of the text whom can be seen without frobing it depends on the amount of light shining on the gui surface. as i don't have very much light in the intented location the text looks a little bit blur

is there a way to manipulate this, so it becomes a little bit more "light sensitive" and the text can be seen better without frobbing it

[grayman]

is there a way to manipulate this, so it becomes a little bit more "light sensitive" and the text can be seen better without frobbing it

 

I don't know of a way. Perhaps someone with materials experience can answer.

[Fidcal]

You could do a special readables gui but I recommend you first try different fonts. I think nancy is thick and black. If you have space you can also set all the text as 'title' in the readables editor - it's bigger and better for brief wall notices to be read directly.

[Obsttorte]

i have a question to the stim/response system

 

i want a func static to react to water arrows shot at them, so i would use a water response

 

the problem is that doesn't work

if i use a frob response and set the func static to frobable it works

is there anything else i must do

[grayman]

the problem is that doesn't work

 

You'll need to explain how you've set it up, which spawnargs, etc.

[Obsttorte]

ok

 

i used the stim response editor

 

i select my func_static (a generator model) then go to the SR-Editor

i go to responses, and push add, change the response type to water and add the effect toggle_light, the target name is the name of the electric light entity to toggle

 

it works with frob and with player e.g.

but not with water or shield e.g.

[grayman]

I tested this by creating a func_static brush, using the S/R editor to add a water response, defining the effect to be "turn light off", and giving it the name of a light.

 

I fired a water arrow at it and the light went off.

 

So I couldn't reproduce the problem.

 

If you still can't get it to work, you'll need to post an example map.

[Fidcal]

I just tested this as well and couldn't get it to work at first but did eventually. This is what I did....

 

At first I just made a huge pillar brush in a room and made it func_static, gave it the water response and set to toggle a light. Wouldn't work.

 

Then I figured the radius of the arrow stim perhaps didn't reach the centre of the pillar so I reduced the pillar to a 8 x 8 cube. Still no luck. (I was right about the radius though - it's 24.)

 

Then I made the cube solid 0 and put a worldspawn wood post behind it so the small cube is more like a torch on a post.

 

I thought this didn't work first time (not sure) but I figured you normally aim a bit high so the water drops onto the flame so I tried that and it worked. But then I aimed straight at my cube and it worked. Even when I aimed a bit below it worked.

 

Then I made it solid again and it seemed to fail. Then I noticed the light was actually flickering off then on again so its getting stimmed twice to toggle off then on and again. The more I tried that varied depending on angle and distance I aimed from.

 

That makes sense. The water stim on the arrow has a life of 3 seconds (I assume that's not milliseconds) before it is removed. So I would avoid using toggle - or at least, put in a delay relay so it can't fire twice.

 

Then I made my cube 32 x 32 and solid. The light still flickered so it does work even if the object is greater than 24. Presumably this means it works on surface contact.

 

I also noticed that the spray works like in real life. If you aim just below there is sufficient spray for it to clip above and work. But if you aim high you can go higher and the spray drops for a few seconds so aiming higher is more reliable to get a hit [so long as there is something there for it to contact like a wall!]

[Radiant]

I tried to insert some readables with i18n support, but all I get are the string numbers ingame.

 

My readable in the mapfile:

// entity 77
{
"classname" "atdm:readable_immobile_paper01"
"name" "atdm_readable_immobile_paper01_1"
"model" "models/darkmod/readables/gui_paper01.lwo"
"origin" "-96.172 648.043 175.957"
"rotation" "1 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1 0"
"xdata_contents" "generator"
}

 

My xd-file: xdata\readables_docks.xd

generator
{
precache
"num_pages" : "1"
"page1_title" :
{
"#str_20000"
}
"page1_body" :
{
"#str_20001"
}
"gui_page1" : "guis/readables/page_test_world.gui"
"snd_page_turn" : "readable_page_turn"
}

 

Do I need something else, so the strings will be replaced?

 

My language-file: strings\fm\german.lang

{
//Generator-Hinweis:
"#str_20000" "Generator"
"#str_20001" "GEFAHR!\n\nZutritt nur für autorisiertes Personal."
}

Edited October 7, 2012 by Radiant

[Fidcal]

I've never done this myself. Have you followed the instructions at http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=I18N_-_Translating_Fan_Missions

 

Maybe you need to run a script - but it doesn't say so in those instructions - but I've not read them thoroughly.

[grayman]

Then I noticed the light was actually flickering off then on again so its getting stimmed twice to toggle off then on and again.

 

It sounds like you used the effect "toggle light".

 

In my example, I used the effect "turn light off", which seems more appropriate for dousing.